This invention relates to the field of automotive tool trays, and specifically relates to an automotive tool tray that straddles the engine compartment of automobiles having rear-raising hoods.
In most modem automobiles, the hood covering the engine compartment opens from the front of the automobilexe2x80x94called a front-raising hood. In this configuration, the hood is kept closed by a latch located in the front-portion of the engine compartment. When this latch is released, the front of the hood is raised on hinges located at the rear portion of the engine compartment. However, certain automobiles, such as most models of the Chevrolet Corvette, are or have been manufactured with rear-raising engine hoods that raise on a hinge or hinges located at the front-portion of the engine compartment. For some automobiles having rear-raising hoods, the hood and left and right fenders are formed as a single piece, such that both the hood and fenders are raised to access the engine compartment. This is commonly known as a unitary hood and fender. For simplicity purposes, the term xe2x80x9crear-raising hoodsxe2x80x9d shall also include rear-raising unitary hood and fenders. Automobiles having rear-raising hoods conventionally have two hood latches, one on either side of the engine compartment, located in the rear portion of the engine compartment. When the rear-raising hood is lowered, the hood latches retain the hood in the closed position.
In all automobilesxe2x80x94whether manufactured with rear-raising or front-raising engine hoodsxe2x80x94it is generally inevitable that maintenance, repair or some other service will be required to be performed in the engine compartment. Whether such servicing is done by a professional or amateur automobile mechanic, most types of servicing require the use of tools and spare automotive parts. While performing automotive servicing, it is usually ideal to have tools and parts within close reach of the mechanic. Placing tools and parts within the engine compartment itself is problematic because there are usually no convenient surfaces upon which to place tools and parts. Furthermore, placing tools and parts directly within the engine compartment may cause the loss of parts within the engine compartment. This is especially dangerous if a tool or a part becomes lost or left (unbeknownst to the mechanic) near or on a moving engine part, thus causing damage to the engine, and possibly injuring the driver or others. Placing tools and parts on other parts of the automobile may result in damage, such as scratches or dents, to the automobile, and is similarly undesirable. While placing tools and parts on a table or tray away from the automobile is probably the safest alternative, it requires the mechanic to temporarily stop whatever task he or she may be doing in the engine compartment, turn about to retrieve the tool or part, then return to the task. This is highly inefficient, undesirable and unrealistic, especially if the mechanic must simultaneously hold a tool or part in place while requiring a new tool or part. A professional mechanic""s inefficiency results in increased costs for the consumer.
Therefore, to increase the efficiency and safety of working on an automobile, various types of automotive tool trays have been developed to assist the mechanic by providing a place to hold tools and parts within easy reach of the mechanic. Unfortunately, most, if not all, of these automotive tool trays have been designed for an automobile with a front-raising hood. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,443,019 to Sheldrick, U.S. Pat. No. 5,937,766 to Denny, U.S. Pat. No. 6.026,954 to Marsh, U.S. Pat. No. 5,331,904 to DiSimone, et al, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,873,311 to Schlattl, would not be suitable for automobiles having a rear-raising unitary hood and fender because these types of tool trays rest on the edge of the engine compartment formed by the fender. For an automobile having a rear-raising unitary hood and fender, the fender is raised together with the hood, and therefore there is no edge upon which to rest the tool tray. Furthermore, unlike automobiles having front-raising hoods, automobiles having rear-raising hoods require the mechanic to service the engine compartment exclusively from the sides of the automobile. The above inventions are designed to straddle the engine compartment to accommodate a mechanic that can service the engine compartment from the front as well as the sides. Use of these types of tool trays would obstruct access to most of the engine compartment for automobiles with rear-raising hoods, thus making it difficult for a mechanic to service such automobiles. Furthermore, the above-mentioned automotive tool trays are not firmly affixed in place, and are susceptible to jostling or overturning, which could spill tools and parts into the engine compartment. In addition, tool trays that must be rolled to a position over the engine compartment, such as the types described by U.S. Pat. No. 4,488,497 to Bevans, U.S. Pat. No. 4,728,065 to Coote, U.S. Pat. No. Re. 33,645 to Coote, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,240,856 B1 to Paskey, et al, are unsuitable for an automobile having a rear-raising hood because the hood and wheel of such automobiles would prevent the tray from being rolled into a proper position over the engine compartment. It is of course desirable that any tool tray be easily manufactured from inexpensive materials and easily assembled and used by a single person.
This invention comprises an automotive tool tray having a support assembly that can be removably engaged with and affixed to the hood-latch mechanisms of automobiles having rear-raising engine hoods. The support assembly preferably comprises two support members, one for engagement with each hood latch mechanism, and an automotive tool tray. Each support member has a foot end, a top end, and a leg having a latch end portion adapted to be engagable with and retained by a corresponding hood latch mechanism in the rear of the engine compartment. The foot ends of the support members rest on the hood latch mechanism housing.
Both support members are substantially rigidly and removably affixed to their respective hood latch mechanisms by inserting the latch end portion of each leg into its respective hood latch mechanism. The hood latch mechanisms engage with and retain the latch end portions of the legs, and the foot ends of the support members rest on the hood latch mechanism housings. The automotive tool tray is positioned over the exposed engine compartment by affixing the tray to the top ends of the support members.